In the spring of 2015, two bald eagles took over an existing red-tailed hawk nest at the Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility (ND-LEEF) at St. Patrick's County Park and fledged one eaglet. The eagles at ND-LEEF, as well as a pair from Potato Creek State Park, were the first successful bald eagle nests ever recorded in St. Joseph County. Our eagles have returned to build up their nest in the winters of 2016 (one eaglet hatched), 2017 (two eaglets hatched) and 2018 (two eaglets hatched).

Installed in Fall 2017, our live, in-nest camera is mounted above the bald eagle nest; therefore viewers can now watch the nest being built, eggs being laid and incubated, and the eaglets as they hatch and reach the fledging stage!

In the Midwest, bald eagles typically lay two eggs in late February or early March. The eggs take almost precisely 35 days to hatch. Eagles are some of the fastest growing birds and the eaglets will be almost fully grown and ready to fly in mid-June.

Eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act with guidelines on minimizing nest disturbance. Therefore, we ask people interested in viewing the nest to do so from the Morrison Education and Outreach Pavilion located on the north side of ND-LEEF. Please park your vehicles in the St. Patrick's County Park Red Barn parking lot and walk to the Morrison Family Pavilion, entering from the path from the north of the pavilion. CLICK FOR MAP

See any exciting action in the nest @NDLEEF? Share it using #NDEagleWatch